Cat Ballou : Some historical background

Some historical background

Kid and Cassidy are of course historical figures, although it was Sundance kid, not Kid Shelleen. Hole in the wall is also an historical place. Is anything else here authentic?

Re: Some historical background

Hole in the Wall does exist, but not in Wyoming; I believe it's in southern Utah.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were there (with The Wild Bunch) when they were younger and using the location as a place to hide while posses looked for them. As to where Butch spent his later years there is some debate to the extent that he returned from Bolivia and died of old age. (Sundance never returned from Bolivia.)

Remarkably, the 1969 film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was historically accurate in portraying their lives, even down to the blowing up of railroad safes (and boxcars). Try to catch a show on the History channel that has photos of their work. They look like shots taken from the film.

Re: Some historical background

Do not tell anyone in Johnson County, WY that hole in the wall is not there.

Re: Some historical background

Cat Ballou seems to be based on Etta Place, the schoolteacher who joined up with Cassidy and Sundance. Also, in the train robbery scene the railroad man refuses to open the safe. I think this is based on an actual incident that was also featured, in more detail, in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Re: Some historical background

If you listen closely, Cassidy call his woman Etta a few times. I don't think that Cat was based on Etta. There were lots of outlaws with Kid in their name, it was almost a cliche in westerns. Just me but I don't think that Shelleen was Sundance, just another gunslinger. I was always interested that the themes in this, the age of the gunfighter passing, etc, were so well developed in Butch Cassidy, like they took those few scenes in Hole in the Wall and made a whole movie. I think Cat Ballou was more influential than it gets credit for.
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